Before the weekend event on 21st/22nd January, 2012, Matt decided to construct the new fencing line to the hide. This means that more time can be spent constructing the hide during the weekender. The map below shows you roughly where the hide is going to be and how it's going to look.

So, on Saturday, 7th January, at 9am I met Matt onsite to start my green gym workout. The first task was open a section of the fence and install some new supporting posts, as the old ones were rotten.

The ground was quite soft so very soon the first row of posts were in the ground. Now to line up the other side to make sure they're straight and parallel. In no time at all the 2nd row of posts were hammered in with a heavy post knocker - hence why it's called a green gym workout!

After a cuppa tea and a bacon butty (thanks Liz!), Matt and I installed the support struts on the corner posts. This is to ensure that when the fence is strung the corner posts don't bend when it's tensioned.

Putting up the fence and tensioning it was relatively simple, with minimal strikes to the thumb when hammering in the tacks.

Time for another cuppa before adding the top wire.

All that's left to do now is fence off the far end and tidy up. The actual bird hide section will be created/fenced during the big weekender, whilst other volunteers construct the willow fence panels.